Bill Merrow's Blog: 2009 Day 8 Sept 20 166.5-213 from National Canyon to Pumpkin Spring

Subject: Sept 2009 Geology River Trip - Day 8 Sept 20 from National Canyon mile 166.5 to Pumpkin Spring mile 213

Day 8 from National Canyon to Pumpkin Spring camp at mile 213
166 National Canyon camp start
168 Fern Glen Canyon - nice climb past chockstone to fall
175 Red Slide
178 Vulcan Anvil
179 Lava Falls
213 Pumpkin Spring camp

06:48 Sunrise at National Canyon Camp
0648SunriseNationCamp_gc9sa_007266.jpg

07:30 we eat breakfast, load the boat and head on down the river by 07:47

08:06 ahead above our put in for Fern Glen is a deposit of Surprise Canyon formation (atop Redwall)

here is a detail showing the deposit as a lens in a channel atop redwall - similar to how Temple Butte deposits typically form atop Muav

08:12 we stop at Fern Glen Canyon for a quick hike up to Fern Glen Grotto

08:17 Canyon ahead

08:21 Fern Glen closes in

08:24 pool at end of easy part of hike with large chock stone

08:31 Mike Mayer climbs and tells me it is easy - here Mike photo from top as I pocket my d10 before going into the pool

08:33 Bill starts up (thanks Mike Mayer/Drew who said it was "easy" and to Mark Combs who took this photo)

08:34 Bill near top of chimney and at top

(Mark Combs photo)

08:34 view from top of chock stone just climbed

08:35 Bill taking photos at top (Mark Combs photo)

08:35 grotto above chock stone - we hike up this

08:40 we spot Monkey Flowers amid ferns (yes, that is my butt dirty from chimney moves to get up to this level)

08:40 we encounter another blockage and bypass by climbing Muav ledges on left

08:41 but very soon we see a water fall ending the hike for us

08:44 but Drew and Brandon continue

even this much was a nice climb, but Drew goes further

Drew showing he can climb anything!

soon we run out of time as we have miles to go today we head back . . .
08:43 more Monkey Flowers on our way back

08:44 this is a great little canyon!

08:57 Mike Mayer climbing down with Bill at top

08:58 Bill Climbing down

09:00 Bill after Fern Glen climb

while we were continuing past the chockstone, the rest of the crew had a guess whose feet photo shoot - some of these shots are copied below

09:30 we reboard the boat and head on down river – great early AM reflection
0930GreatReflectionsAsWeProceedDownriver_gc9i1_004511.jpg

09:31 Seep at bottom of pouroff – great scenery

0931SeepBelowPouroff_gc9i1_004515.jpg

10:04 Passing another group of bighorn sheep
1004PassAnotherGroupOfBighorn_gc9i_000398.jpg

10:04 Survey rig (on rock; centered near bottom) – one of more than a dozen we saw today
1004SurveyRig1ofdozenswepassed_gc9i1_004552.jpg

10:05 View down river
1005ViewDownriver_gc9i1_004553.jpg

10:10 Red Slide rm175 is a large scale rotational landslide in the Supai - cap stones protected towers of rubble left when erosion removed material around them

10:44 rm178 Obligatory photo of Vulcan Anvil
1044VulcanAnvil_gc9i1_004616.jpg

10:46 BA Shale exposure
1046BAShale_gc9i1_004629.jpg

10:49 Classic canyon exposures before lava dominates the scene
1049ClassicCanyonExposuresBeforeMilesOfLava_gc9i_000525.jpg

10:49 Looking ahead massive lava flows dominate
1049LookingAheadTowardsMassiveLavaFlow_gc9i_000526.jpg

10:56 Great morning reflection poses for us
1056MorningReflectionPosesForUs_gc9i1_004645.jpg

10:58 looking ahead at lava from volcanic vent on rim above
1058LookinAheadMassiveLavaFlowIntoCanyonFromRimAbove_gc9i1_004649.jpg

10:58 looking up steep canyon side as we move downriver
1058LookingUpTowardsLavaNearTopSteepCanyonSide_gc9i1_004648.jpg

10:59 Dike detail - see it above river cobbles and then continue to cut thru old river deposits predating the flow
1059DikeAboveRiverCbblesErodedOut_gc9i1_004663.jpg

10:59 Hikers on lava trail (a hiker fell and died the same week we came thru here)
1059LavaTrailSomeoneFellAndDiedWithinADay_gc9i1_004658.jpg

11:07 We stop and group inspects Lava Fals before we run it
1107GroupHikedToLavaInspectsIt_gc9i1_004668.jpg

11:10 looking across lava we see side canyon that is the source of debris flows forming this rapid – see how previous flows have scoured the channel
1111AcrossFromLavaDebrisFlowSourcefRapid_gc9i1_004681.jpg

11:12 Lava Falls in person – someone is heard muttering “not afraid of no stinkin rapid” . . .
1112LavaFalls_gc9i1_004683.jpg

11:14 Columnar jointing in basalt flow visible from our perch above Lava
1114ColumnarJontingAboveLavaFalls_gc9i1_004687.jpg

11:14 Drew, Wayne and Jim Corken scout Lava
1114WayneJimCorkenDrewScoutLava_gc9i1_004691.jpg

We easily pass Lava and continue downriver

13:53 Unconformity we passed – we could have reached out from raft and touched it
1353UnconformityBesideBoatCouldTouch_gc9i_000762.jpg

14:03 One of todays Herons
1403OneOfTodaysHerons_gc9i1_004842.jpg

14:08 Lava flows filled river channel for more than 80 miles – later the river eroded down thru the flow creating todays channel with lava ledges on both sides
1408Lavaflow80MilesOldLevelErodeThru_gc9i1_004850adj.jpg

14:08 Looking up at lava flow
1408LookingUpAtLavaflow_gc9i1_004849.jpg

14:09 Old river channel deposits under lava flow
1409OldRiverChanUnderLavaflow_gc9i1_004851.jpg

15:20 Hot day so we stopped for a break and got wet
1520StopToGetWetHotDay_gc9i_000819.jpg

15:21 Everyone got wet, else they got “help” getting wet
1521EveryoneGotWetElseTheyWereHelped_gc9i_000820.jpg

15:24 It was a hot day; but it also was a beautiful day . . .
1524HotButBeautifulDay_gc9i_000821.jpg

15:53 Enjoying the view and a little splash of water
1553EnjoyingViewAndSplash_gc9i1_004909.jpg

15:53 Looking back at slide debris
1553LookingBackSlideDebris_gc9i_000865.jpg

We proceed downriver to Pumpkin Springs and camp there – this is a great camp site – one of a number of special ones on this trip

17:28 Groover at Pumpkin
1728GrooverAtPumpkin_gc9i_000955.jpg